He stated that visibility was good[1] and recalled learning from marine radio conversations shortly before he departed that conditions were foggy north of his position He could see the THOMAS B MCCABE's stern lights until that vessel rounded a bend in the Mobilc River at Bayou Sara (about mile 8.2). The MAUVILLA's position at the time, according to the pilot, was near the south end of Twelve Mile Island (mile 7), and he recalled visibility beginning to become "hazy" there (see figure 2)
The pilot testified that as he passed Catfish Bayou at mile 8 6, "it started getting foggier and foggier on me " Between Catfish Bayou and the north end of Twelve Mile Island (mile 9 6) the pilot contacted the operator of the THOMAS B. McCABE and asked about the fog; the reply was, "it's shut out" (zero visibility) The THOMAS B. McCABE's operator said he was going to continue, and the MAUVILLA's pilot stated that he "was going to try to get me a line," that is, moor his tow by securing it with a line to a tree or other structure on the riverbank The two vessels were about three-quarters of a mile apart at this point, according to the THOMAS B McCABE's operator, who said he could still see the glow of the MAUVILLA's lights.
As the MAUVILLA approached the north end of Twelve Mile Island, the "fog shut in," according to the pilot The fog was dense enough that the pilot could not see the head of the tow, and he began to look for a place to tie to the bank The pilot said he thought he was between Thirteen Mile Marsh, which is between miles 10 and 12, and the CSXT Fourteen Mile railroad bridge,[2] which crosses the Mobile River at mile 13.3 He ordered the on-duty deckhand onto the lead barge on the starboard side to try to snag a tree so that a mooring line could be placed around it to secure the tow.
The pilot used his searchlights to locate a tree After at least two unsuccessful attempts to snag a tree, according 1o the pilot, he ordered the on-duty deckhand, whom he could not see from the wheelhouse, back to the towboat, fearing the deckhand might injure himself in the dense fog or fall overboard He said he had reduced the vessel's speed at this point but was unable to estimate how fast he was moving While trying to locate a tree, the pilot stated that he noticed his swing meter[3] indicate a turn to port and he observed two banks on the radar screen as the tow and barges straightened The last navigation aid that the pilot recalled seeing before the accident was a red navigation dayboard on his starboard side before he reached the north end of Twelve Mile Island (probably the dayboard at mile 9 2)
- ↑ According to the National Weather Service, fog, which can form very quickly in this arca, was not forecast for the area near Mobile on September 22, 1993 At 2 56 a m on the night of the accident, the National Weather Service weather report for the area was clear below 12,000 feet, 4 miles visibility, and 72 degrees Fahrenheit.
- ↑ Although mariners know it as the Fourteen Mile railroad bridge, its official name is the Mobile River bridge. It is one of three railroad swing bridges in the arca, the Bayou Sara at mile post (MP) 658 3 and Tensas River (MP 651 6) are the other two The Mobile River bridge (MP 653 5) is manned at all times by a bridge tender, who has radio communications with trains and marine traffic on the river.
- ↑ A gyroscopic device that indicates a rate of turn of the tow's head, often before visual cues of the turn are apparent. It dors not indicate the amount of heading change.
